Innocent
by KatPeeta23
Summary: Katniss's suicidal best friend spends three months in a rehab. Peeta Mellark has been getting bullied. the athletic gymnast teaches her best friend some tricks, and maybe one of Peeta's bothers will slip up about another thing that pushed him to the edge, so far that he would attempt to commit suicide.
1. Chapter 1

**I got this idea from a reader that asked me to write a story based on the song **_**Innocent**_** by **_**Taylor Swift.**_

_*Past Tense*_

I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. That day that I was in the gym and I got a phone call from my best friend's mother. My life was over. I was convinced it was. My best friend of fourteen years was bleeding to death in the hospital because he cut his wrist so deep that he cut his vein. I flipped out, and I was very, very angry with Peeta Mellark. Hell, I knew he'd felt low, I just didn't know he would take it so far.

I got off the phone, and I went into the locker room. I got all of my stuff and I went home.

"You aren't supposed to be home until nine." Dad had said.

I looked at him and I sucked in a deep breath.

I wasn't going to cry. Mama, my eight year old sister, Prim, and my older brother, Sage all grew alarmed.

Even though I didn't want to cry, tear started falling.

"What's wrong?" Sage, who is twenty one asked.

I mumbled out everything, and then went upstairs and locked myself in the room, refusing to come out for the rest of the night.

That was three months ago.

I miss him.

_*Present Tense*_

I got that phone call in March. Now it's June.

My eighteenth birthday has come and passed. High school graduation has come and passed.

I'm in the gym again. I'm a gymnast. I'm here almost all the time. They healed Peeta and sent him to rehab and he's been there since.

I'm not allowed to visit because I'm not immediate family. Peeta's brother says he's lost so much weight that he looks sickly and he's very pale. His doctor says that even though he's skinny, he needs to work out to gain more strength.

And no offense to the Mellark's, but I'm the most in shape person that they know.

Since it's summer and we've graduated high school, I'm gonna see if Mrs. Mellark will be okay with me helping him work out.

Anyways, I just got a phone call from Peeta's Mom and they're on the way home with him now.

I rush to the locker room and I pull my socks on and my Nikes. I'm wearing a sky blue sports bra and white spandex.

Mom dropped me off today, and I really don't want to wait for her to get here. It's ten miles away and I can run there. It'll take me about an hour and forty minutes to get there and it takes them an hour and forty five or so minutes to get there.

I pace myself and jog out of the gym and down the street.

Mrs. Mellark already told me to come over. She said that Peeta is so impatient and he wants me there right away or he's going to drive to my house and not go inside. She wants me on her porch. He doesn't know I'm coming. He's still excited.

I'm excited too.

I miss him.

See, he cut himself because he was being bullied. It didn't make sense because I was the most popular, but nobody listened to me when I told the bitch, Glimmer, that was bullying him to knock it off. Peeta completed school in rehab and when I found out, I went to school the next day and I fought the girl.

Needless to say, she's still in a cast and I got suspended for a week.

Stupid bitch.

I stop once and go into a convenience store and I get a bottle of water. Other than that, I run it the whole way through.

I get to his house at 4:29.

I got that phone call at 3:09. That means that they should be at home at exactly five.

I put my phone in the waist band of my spandex shorts and hold my water, pacing around the porch, watching the roads.

I look at the digital clock through the window. It's 5:01.

I start pacing again, and one minute later, their Jeep comes down the street.

I grab my phone and water and dive into a bush. I shoot out a text to Peeta and I's friends, Johanna, Annie, and Finnick and let them know the gist of everything.

I hear doors shut.

"I'm not going in the house." He mumbles. I peek though the bush to get a good look at him. He's skinny, and scrawny. His voice is different. The sparkle has left his eye.

This is not _my_ Peeta. This is a mask of him.

"Peeta honey, let just go inside." Mrs. Mellark says. "You can go upstairs and unpack. I changed your sheets. Your room is clean. How about we have Tater Tot Casserole for dinner and I call Katniss and invite her?"

He studies her to see if she's fibbing, and then he gives in and trudges in the house.

"She better come!" he shouts, and I hear his door slam.

They're in the house, so I pop out of the bushes and signal for them to be quiet.

"He thinks I'm not here. Can you just act like I never was so I can go dress and get my car?"

"Want a ride?" Rye asks.

"He'll suspect. I just jogged ten miles here. I can handle seven more."

"Alright." Mr. Mellark agrees, and I jog off.

It takes me an hour and I get a text from Mrs. Mellark.

_Mrs. Mellark: Honey not to be pushy but you've been gone an hour and Peeta's starting to freak._

_Me: Tell him I'll be there in a half hour._

_Mrs. Mellark: Okay…_

I rush into the house and sprint upstairs to my bathroom. I take a fast shower and put my hair up in a messy bun after brushing it, and then I pull on a beige bra, a white tight tank top and shorts. I put my black flats on and I pack a bag full of a ton of clothes for the night. I grab my wallet, phone, keys and roll on deodorant, put on my sunglasses and walk out of my room and jog downstairs.

"Don't expect me home for a few days."

"Why?" Mom asks.

Even though I'm eighteen, I still have to tell her where I'm going because I live in her house.

"Peeta's back." I say. I don't have to add anything else. She nods and I rush outside and get in my white Jeep Wrangler. I toss everything in the passenger seat and start it up.

I go to the gas station and fill the tank.

I work at the gym now and I get pain twelve dollars an hour for teaching the kids. I get four days of teaching the kids a week and the rest is for me to use the gym if I want.

I decide to be the nice friend and get Peeta a Gatorade (yellow because that's his favorite) and I get him pizza combos, and then the lemon heads that are more than just yellow.

I pay and then I go to the car and put that bag in the passenger seat.

If Peeta's still Peeta he's going to kill me when I get there because I said I'd be there in a half hour an hour ago.

It's still light out. It's only seven.

I speed to Peeta's and pull into the driveway.

I shut off the car and grab the bag of his snacks. I get out and slam the door to announce my arrival and stroll my way to the house. I don't have to knock anymore, so I just walk in and shut the door silently. I peek into the living room. Everyone is in there but him.

I step all the way in and raise my eyebrows.

"He won't come downstairs." Rye shrugs.

I walk to the door and slam it.

"Peeta! Get your ass down here!" I shout.

I hear a loud crash, profuse cursing, and then loud footsteps on the stairs. I'm standing in front of the coffee table again.

He stops at the bottom to stare at me.

I'm not hugging him just yet.

I cross my arms and arch m eyebrows.

One thing about me is Peeta's afraid of me. It'll take a few words out of my mouth to make him feel like a punished child.

While his mother could yell at him all day and he'll try not to laugh. That goes for anyone.

But me.

That's why, when Mrs. Mellark needs him to do something and he refuses, I yell at him and he does it.

But it's not rude. It's just our thing.

I seriously didn't think I was going to cry. I really didn't.

He doesn't smirk at the stern look on my face; he just looks down at the floor and whispers, "I'm sorry."

So I blurt, "I got suspended." I blurt.

He looks at me, because that's shocking. I may have been the most popular, but I was the highest grade point average in the school. I've been getting straight A's and I've never gotten detention except for when my Mom was getting surgery and I was texting Dad in class to see how she was. I may have been the most popular, but I was the highest grade point average in the school. I've been getting straight A's and I've never gotten detention except for when my Mom was getting surgery and I was texting Dad in class to see how she was.

"You _what_?" he asks, his jaw slack.

"I uh…I got suspended."

"I thought school was out." He starts backing towards the stairs.

"It is."

"How long did you get suspended for?" he asks skeptically. "An hour doesn't count." He teases, and that makes me smile because he's still in there.

"A week." I mutter.

Mrs. Mellark starts choking on her coffee.

"What'd you do?" he exclaims, clearly shocked.

"Well…the day after…you…shit hit the fan…I went to school and…I was Glimmer and well…needless to say, she still has a cast."

He stares at me, clearly not believing me.

"You're lying." He says.

"I swear." I say. "Her nose is crooked because I broke it. She has double black eyes and I broke her leg."

"Why?" he asks.

"Why?" I repeat. "Because of what she did." I hiss. "She should be grateful her heart is still beating."

"Let's go upstairs." He says.

"Okay." I say.

"Leave the door open!" Mrs. Mellark shouts, and we both shout no.

He shuts the door, and turns to me. He opens his arms and I walk into them, burying my face in his chest.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." He whispers.

He doesn't let go of me for a very long time.

"You smell like hospital." I whisper.

"I'll take a shower later."

"Yeah. Pack a bag. After dinner we're going out of town."

"I'm not allowed."

"How old are you?" I ask.

"Eighteen."

"Okay. Would you rather spend three days with your parents and brother or with me?"

"You." He says.

"Okay then. Pack a bag." I smile.


	2. Chapter 2

This other Peeta is starting to piss me off a little bit. After dinner, I made up some stupid lie about how I couldn't stay for that trip because I was being forced to work the next week straight to help the little girls train for their competition. I went right home and went right into my room and locked the door. I've been here ever since and I haven't opened the door for anyone.

Finally, at two in the morning when everyone has given up.

I fall asleep on the wood floor.

...9...

I wake at ten and get dressed. I slip out the door after my shower and go right to the gym.

I go in and go right for the uneven bars. I don't say a whole word as I do everything under the book of uneven bars moves and then I move to the vault, repeat, and then the bars, repeat, and then the floor and repeat. It's three in the afternoon now. I repeat the whole process three times. When I start doing it, Johanna and Annie who are on my team come over to me.

"Alright." Johanna says, pulling me down from the beam. "Spill it."

"What?" I ask.

"Katniss, your one of my best friends. Peeta comes back and the next day your here when you don't have to be and your not speaking to anyone. I'm surprised your not with him."

"He's not him anymore. This isn't Peeta. This is...it's a mask of him or something. He doesn't joke around anymore and he gets upset super easily."

Annie puts her hand on my shoulder. "Did you ever think that maybe this is the real Peeta? Maybe the other one was a mask."

I'm silent for a very long time, and then I realize that is a very large possibility.

I study both of their faces.

"Bye." I run out of the gym, grabbing my bag on the way. I have on spandex and a black sports bra. I pull my high school t-shirt over it and speed to Peeta's. I don't knock, I just go right in. Rye's on the couch with some chick and nobody else is to be seen.

"Upstairs." He says, and I nod and walk right past him upstairs. I knock repeatedly on his door until he opens it. He needs to shower, his room is disgusting with food plates, and it smells like B.O.

He's wearing boxers.

I wrinkle my nose. "You smell like body odor."

"I thought you had to work today." He narrows his eyes.

"I'll explain after you take a shower and shave and brush your teeth and out on deodorant."

He rolls his eyes. "Are we leaving?" He demands.

"Yes."

"Fine, what am I wearing?"

He's in a mood. I hear his mother walk past and stop in the entrance to his room.

"Hi Katniss." She says.

"Hi." I say.

"Peeta, stop being mean."

"No." He snaps.

"God, who put bitch in your cereal this morning?" I snap.

"Nobody." He snaps back.

"Fine. Until you get the stick out if your ass, I'm not going to be around you. I'm leaving."

I turn, and he grabs my wrist. "Wait!" He cries. "I'm sorry. I'll take a shower. I'll stop snapping."

"Good." I say. I walk to his dresser and toss him clean boxers, gym shorts, and a t-shirt. I add deodorant to the pile and shove him to the bathroom.

Then I start cleaning his room. I know where everything goes in every room in this house. I have the whole thing clean and dirty clothes of his in the washer before he's even out of the bathroom. I change his sheets and put them in the laundry room, and then I make his bed. When he's walking in the room, I'm spraying febreeze.

He walks in the room and sighs.

"Put them in the hamper." I say.

I make him put on deodorant in front of me and then I out axe on him.

"Where are we going?" He demands as I throw his Nikes at him.

"I'm supposed to help you be fit again."

He groans. "No."

"I wasn't asking." I reply.

I pull him downstairs after his Nikes are on, shout "we're leaving!" And then I drag him out the door to my car.

I drive to a park and pull over.

"How far are we jogging?" He asks after I buy two water from a stand.

"We'll start with a mile, then we're going to the gym."

We start jogging. "Katniss?" He asks. "Can I ask you something?" He stops jogging and turns to me. "Did you lie about having to work?"

I sigh. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I was upset. You weren't acting you. You were acting like a mask of the Peeta I know. Then Annie and Jo made me realize that maybe this is you and the other Peeta was a mask."

He takes a deep breath. "What if this really is me?" He whispers.

"Then I have to cheer you up." I smile.

"So you won't ditch me then?"

"No." I say, and I start jogging again.

We finish that jog in ten minutes. It's four now.

"Do you want dinner first, or do you want to go to the gym?"

"Dinner." He says.

I get in my car and he gets in after me. I drive to Panera.

"Katniss." He says. "This is expensive."

"I've got money." I say.

We have salads, and then Peeta's eyes get huge. I follow his gaze to see the one and only, Glimmer.

God dammit. She doesn't have that cast on anymore.

"I'm leaving." Peeta says, and he's gone before she's had a chance to say something to him.

I mutter a swear, leave the cash on the table and follow him.

He's rushing away, and he's pulling out his phone.

"Peeta!" I call. He starts running, and I sigh and chase after him.

I manage to get him to stop before he hits the highway by grabbing his wrist.

"No!" he says, and he pushes me. He must have done it harder than intended, because I end up falling. I jump back up before he can even react and you know what? I slap him right across the face. He knows better than to piss me off because I fight back with him.

"I didn't do anything! Don't treat me like shit because of her!" I shout at him.

"Well don't try to get me to stop!" he shouts back.

"Fine! Go the fuck home. I don't care! Don't talk to me again!" I turn around and storm over to my car.

I don't ever want to see him again.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't move for five days. I sit in bed with potato chips and only get up to use the bathroom, pee, and to eat. I haven't spoken to him. My phone is shut off and it's downstairs.

When someone stops over, I tell Mom to tell them to go away. It's been Johanna, Annie, and Finnick so far, all alone.

On the sixth day, I hear the doorbell ring. I hear it answered.

"Rye! Graham! How wonderful to see you boys!" Mom exclaims.

"We need to talk to Katniss."

"She doesn't want people over." Mom says.

"We weren't asking." Rye replies, and then I hear footsteps.

I roll to my stomach and cover my head with my pillow. I hear my door fly open, and then the covers are ripped off of me.

"You look terrible." Rye says.

"Get out!" I shout.

"No!" they shout back, and they shut the door.

"Listen." Graham says. "There's stuff about Peeta you don't know. He knows we're telling you this."

"Like what?" I ask.

"Like the fact tat he's in love with you." Rye says.

I stare at him.

"You're lying."

"I'm not." Rye whispers. Prim walks in and so does Reed. Nobody tells them to get out.

"That's not possible."

"Katniss. Think." Graham says. "You told him you had a crush on Gale and then what happened?"

I'm silent for a long time. "He ended up in rehab." I whisper.

He tried to kill himself because of me.

This pisses me off. Everyone knows I had a major crush on Peeta for the longest time. It's still there, and I don't know if it's only a crush anymore. I'm very frustrated. I only told him that because I wanted to make him jealous!

I get up and shove the lamp off my bedside table.

Everyone in the room gasps. "I'm gonna kill him." I hiss.

I get up and get blue jean short shorts, a maroon mickey mouse loosely fitted tank top, a white hat, and white chuck Taylors, soft pink underwear and a matching bra. I go in the bathroom and take a shower. I let my hair stay down and put on the hat and then the rest of the outfit. I roll on deodorant, thankful for saving my legs and everywhere else.

"Katniss." Rye begins.

"I'm gonna kill him." I hiss seething.

"For being in love with you?" Graham snaps. "He can't help his feelings!"

"No, for not telling me!" I snap, and I grab my keys and phone and wallet and rush out of the house.

I go storming into his house and I slam the door as hard I can.

"Katniss," Mrs. Mellark begins. I storm right upstairs and right into his room without knocking.

He's completely dressed, clearly having anticipated this. His room is clean, he's showered and he looks nervous as hell.

Honestly, he looks hot. Clearly he's been working out because he's looking more toned and less scrawny.

I pace around the room after locking the door. He's watching me.

"Katniss." He says. "Before you kill me," he begins. "I just want to apologize for pushing you and for being an ass."

"I'm sorry for hitting you." I say, and I continue pacing.

Honestly, he looks hot. His hair is left alone so it's curly, and his jeans are…nice an snug around his package. His shirt is a white V-neck.

"Katniss." He says while I don't say anything. I know they're all glued to the door and there is a very large chance that my family is here too, listening, seeing what I'll do.

I still don't say anything. "Katniss!" he says.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demand.

"Tell you what?" he asks innocently.

"That you're…" I trail off.

"In love with you?" he whispers.

I nod.

"I was nervous. I didn't want to…destroy us."

"I told you I liked Gale to make you jealous." I whisper. "So it wasn't Glimmer." I whisper. I start pacing again. "You almost killed yourself because of me. it wasn't Glimmer. I broke her arm for no reason."

"No." he says. "Katniss. No." he gets up and grabs my hands, putting them against his heart. "I just…it pushed me over the edge but it wasn't you. It was Glimmer, I swear."

"But I made you do it. I pushed you over the edge."

"Katniss." He whispers. I throw my hat on the floor and bury my head in his chest.

"I'm sorry." I whisper, trying my best not to cry.

"It's okay." He kisses the top of my head and pulls me against him.

We don't say a word. We don't move.

"Katniss?" he finally whispers. "Why did you want to make me jealous?"

"Because I've had a crush on you since I first met you. Only…I'm not sure if it's only a crush anymore." I mumble.

Just then, my phone starts ringing, and so does Peeta's. mine says Johanna, his says Finnick.

I answer mine. "What?"

"Go to Peeta's. Finnick, Annie, and I are coming over." She hangs up.

Peeta's conversation with Finnick is the same as mine.

"Let's go downstairs." I say, putting my hat back on.

He follows me, and just as we're going out the door to the porch, they're pulling in the driveway. It's packed full of suitcases. Peeta and I exchange looks. Johanna comes marching over.

"We're going to New York City. Go pack."

"What?" I ask.

"There's seven people from school that are going. We are too. We have a huge suite." Annie says.

Peeta immediately looks skeptical. "Who?"

They exchange looks.

"Clove, Gale, Madge, Cato, Glimmer, Thresh, and Marvel."

"Glimmer?" Peeta asks. "No. You guys have fun. I'm not going."

Everyone is awesome in that group except for Glimmer."

"I already spoke to her. She won't do anything." Annie says.

"I can't risk it." He shakes his head.

"She knows he's going?" I ask, gesturing to Peeta.

"Yes."

"Peeta." I say.

"No." he says.

"If you come and she does something I'll kick her ass." I say. "Please?"

"No, Katniss." He says.

"Please? For me?" I beg, grabbing his arm. I see Jo, Ann, and Finn all exchange looks. He studies my eyes, and sighs bitterly.

"Fine." He grumbles. "But I don't want to be sharing a bed with her. I don't want to even share a room with her."

"Deal." Finn says.

"She won't do anything." I reassure him.

"When are we leaving?"

"Our plane takes off at eleven tonight."

"Someone has to bring their car." Annie says.

Everyone immediately looks at me.

"Why do I have to bring my car?"

"Because you have a Jeep Wrangler." Finn says.

I mutter swears under my breath. "I'm going to pack."

I rush home and pack everything and then I go to the gym, popping my sunglasses on. I tell my boss I need some time off and I'll call when I'm coming back. She nods and then I go to the store to get anything I'll need, and before I know it, it's seven and everyone is at the airport but me. Finnick tells me I have to give my car keys to the lady that'll be boarding us. I snap that I don't have a ticket and he explains that he got my parents to pay for it. Then Peeta rips the phone from Finn's hand and tells m he's going to kill me if I miss the plane.

I have three and a half hours to get there.

That means I'll have about a half hour to get on the plane. They'll be boarding by then.

Dammit.

…..a…..

It's eleven forty when I pull in the parking lot. By now, everyone is on the plane and I'm getting text messages from Peeta telling me to hurry the hell up. I rush in with my luggage and hurry and get my ticket and luggage checked in. I rush to the gate just as they're closing it, out of breath, and hand the lady my car keys and ticket.

"Just in time." She says.

I smile and hurry onto the plane. Peeta stacked a ton of shit in the seat next to him. He sees me and starts moving stuff. I sit down next to him, out of breath.

"Did you run here?" he jokes. There's my Peeta. I smile and pinch his arm.

"No."

"Did you give the chick your keys?"

"Yes." I say. I lower my voice. "Where's the bitch?" he snickers and points towards the front. I see her dumb blond head. "I was hoping she'd drop out."

"Me too." He whispers. There's some guy next to us, and he's kinda hot.

The pilot tells us to shut of our phones and we do, and to buckle our seatbelts.

I see everyone look around, and when they see me, they all seem to relax and turn back around. Johanna flips me off first, and I return it.

We take off, and somewhere during the ride, I end up falling asleep with my head on Peeta's shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm being gently shaken awake.

"What?" I mumble.

"You have to get up." Peeta whispers.

I groan and look up and see everyone filing off of the plane. I unbuckle and stand up, stretching. Peeta does the same. When I'm walking into the packed aisle, I almost fall asleep. I start falling until I feel Peeta's hand's hit my shoulders. He keeps them there until we're off the plane.

I realize my desperate need to pee, so I turn around and go to the bathroom. I wash my hand and splash water on my face, and then I get out.

A lady that clearly works here taps my shoulder.

"You're the owner of the Jeep?" she asks.

"Yes." I say. She hands me the car keys and walks away.

Johanna, Annie, Glimmer, and Clove are nowhere to be seen. I drop down on Peeta's lap.

After a few minutes, they come back with Starbucks. They pass them out and Jo hands me mine and Annie hands Peeta his. I mumble thanks.

"Well it took you long enough to get here." Finn grumbles.

"Let's get our luggage." I sigh, and I walk away. Peeta follows, and so does everyone else. I grab the suitcase I know is mine and everyone else get theirs. I look at all the luggage and all the people.

"Finnick, why didn't you bring your truck?" I demand.

"Because it was too big." He replies.

"Let's hope we all fit." I sigh and I walk out the front doors.

"Why are you so pissy?" Johanna snaps.

"She's tired." Peeta says. My car is right in front of us. I unlock it and open the back.

Somehow, we manage to fit twelve people and a ton of luggage in my car.

"How far is this hotel?" I ask, looking at Finn in rear mirror.

"About…I dunno…"

"Do you know how to get there?" I ask.

"Yes." He says. He gives me directions, and twice, Peeta has to shake me to keep me from falling asleep. The third time, I feel ice get poured down my back. I start muttering swears as I yank it out and throw it out the window. We get to the hotel and all of us unload. We go inside and Finn checks us in and leads us upstairs. I wander around until I find a bed.

"Katniss." Peeta calls.

"What?" I call.

"You have to eat."

I groan and go into the living room.

I eat and they all decide to watch a movie. I end up falling asleep on the floor.

….a….

I wake up to noises in the kitchen. I'm still fully dressed, and whoever I shared a bed with last night, more than likely Peeta, is gone. I get up and put on a sports bra and spandex. I trudge into the living room. I'm the last one awake. All of the guys are looking me up and down.

"How do _you_ have abs?" Thresh asks, poking my stomach.

"Gymnastics." I say.

"You're in gymnastics?" Glimmer asks.

"Show us." Peeta says.

"Why?" I grumble.

"Because we wanna see." Clove says.

I fall into a back bend and kick over and over until I'm bored and then I stand up.

"What's for breakfast?" I ask.

Everyone shrugs.

I look at Peeta. "Do we have food here?" I ask, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge. It's empty.

"Let's just go out." I say. "Let me get ready."

I rush into the bathroom and taka a quick shower, I shave and get out. I wrap myself in a towel and go into the bedroom. I shut the door and lock it, and then I pull on a white push up bra, a red tank top, short shorts with the tank top tucked in, and a pair of red chuck taylors. My hair is disgusting and way too knotted. I walk out of the room, ripping the brush through my hair. Everyone is cringing, just watching. Peeta comes rushing over and takes the brush from my hand.

"Let me." he says, and gently, he starts brushing my hair until it's smooth.

I reach back and start to braid it.

"Leave it down." He says.

"Fine."

Everyone is dressed now. I toss my brush in the room and grab my keys, phone, and wallet.

Peeta's phone starts ringing then.

"What Rye?" he asks. "Oh. Sorry Mom." I snicker. He follows us out the door. "Florida?" he asks. he groans in irritation. "No. I'm not going."

I jump on his back so I can hear better.

"Peeta you have to come. It's a family double reunion and you're my son. You must come. The other family is Katniss's"

"I don't want to."

"Katniss has to come." She says. He's silent for a while.

"They don't know about that incident that involves me?"

"Of course they do!"

"Our family judges, Mom!"

"Suck it up." She says.

He groans and hangs up. We get on the elevator and I jump down.

"You're coming with me."

"Okay. When?"

"Saturday."

"We're still gonna be here Saturday." Finnick says.

"Well Katniss and I have to leave Saturday." He says.

….a….

Peeta's getting shit from Glimmer. I left with Finnick, Annie and Johanna. He didn't come because he had a headache. We went to get dinner. When I got back, Peeta had himself locked in the room and refused to answer the door for anyone.

It's been three hours and I'm starting to have a serious panic attack to the point where I'm crying and pacing.

"Katniss." Finnick begins.

I turn on Glimmer. "You fucking bastard!" I hiss. I turn to the door. "Peeta open the fucking door!" I shout, banging on his desperately. Nothing.

What if he killed himself?

"Katniss." Annie whispers. She's on the verge of tears, too.

"Everyone leave." I say.

"What?" Glimmer snaps. "I'm not leaving. He's worthless. He doesn't deserve attention. He sure as hell doesn't deserve you."

I lose it and go charging for her. In two seconds, I've got her on the floor with a bloody nose. All the females are screaming and guys are just watching in shock. "I'll fucking kill you!" I shout. She's screaming in pain and begging for me to stop, but I can't. I'm seeing red. The guys are starting to interfere.

I somehow manage to get away from everyone.

"Katniss!" Peeta shouts, and then I realize it's him with his arms around my waist.

"I'm calling the cops!" Glimmer says.

"You'll just go to jail! Bullying is illegal in the state of New York!" I shout.

She sets her phone down.

"Fine. I won't call the cops." She hisses.

I push Peeta's grip off of him and stand so close to her that our noses are almost touching. "Say one more fucking word to him." I hiss. "And I'll kill you."

"I can't even talk to him?"

"Unless you wanna die, don't say a word to him. Don't even look at him."

I see her swallow nervously. I turn around and grab Peeta's hand and pull him to our room. I slam and lock the door behind us and turn on him.

"Pack." I hiss. "We have to leave tomorrow anyways."

"Can I talk to you first?" he whispers.

I sit down on our bed and he sits next to me.

"I just…I feel like everyone is…not believing in me. I feel like nobody cares. I don't feel loved anymore. I left myself behind in the past in my problems. I miss being me. I feel like I'm going insane trying to get back to myself! I…I feel like I'm just a lousy little boy. I'm not innocent anymore. I can't even talk about what I did. I relive everything every single night and I'm just destroyed. I wish I knew that…that you felt the same and I wish I knew that it'd get better. I don't think I'm ever going to get better. All I am is a lousy boy that cuts himself. I'm devoured in flames."

"Peeta." I whisper.

"Don't judge." He begs.

"I'm not." I whisper. "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

He studies my eyes for a long time. We don't say anything, we just study each other's eyes.

"I love you too." He whispers.


	5. Chapter 5

I was up all night. I wrote a song that Peeta doesn't know about and I'm going to sing it at the reunion. I spoke to Mrs. Mellark and she said the song is a great idea. I slept on the plane on the way to Florida and so did Peeta. I drive to the state park Rainbow River. We're obviously late. Peeta sighs. "I don't want to be here."

"Me either." I slump back into my seat. We stay silent for a little while. "We'll just have to make the best of it." I sigh. I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out. I'm wearing a black push up bikini and a long white sundress that dips down and it's showing as much as my bathing suit is.

I unbuckle and get out and stretch. Peeta's wearing a sleeveless shirt and his black swim trunks. He looks better in weight. He looks healthy. I look at him to prepare myself and then walk into the huge crowd. He follows me until we find someone we know, and the first person we find is my Dad.

His back is turned, so I tap his shoulder. He spins around. "Katniss, Peeta, your back!" He smiles and hugs me.

I'm completely blunt. "Do we have to talk to people or can we go in the water?"

"Go in the water. I've been trying to avoid people too but your mother is persistent."

"Well let's hope I don't run into her."

"Run into who?" Mom asks behind me.

I can't even think of a girl before Peeta says, "My cousin Emily."

"Oh." She says. The next thing I know, she's dragging us around. Mrs. Mellark grabs Peeta to make him meet people from his family.

Then, an hour later, I'm sitting alone at a chair. People are looking weird and uncomfortable.

Rye walks over to me looking concerned. "Peeta's gone."

"What?" I stand up. He's freaking out.

Mrs. Mellark and Mr. Mellark come up behind him.

a

"Katniss." Mrs. Mellark sways. "I've warned everyone about the song. Are you still down for it?"

"Yes." I say.

"I think we should find Peeta and then you should sing the song." Mrs. Mellark says.

"Alright." I say.

All the people venture into the forest.

I follow the river and run across people occasionally. It take a while, but then I hear the sound if running footsteps. I call out his name

And get nothing. My phone starts ringing then.

Rye: some chick found him. Everyone is here but you. He won't fucking listen.

Me: make loud noises.

I wander around the woods until I hear loud irritating noises and many whispers. I follow the voices.

"Peeta." Graham tries. "Come on. Just calm down-"

"I won't calm down!" He shouts. "Everyone can just fuck off!"

"Peeta!" Mrs. Mellark scolds.

"No! It's my life! Nobody can tell me what to do! This is ridiculous!"

"You need to calm down." Rye says. I'm in the open and everyone has seen me, including Peeta. His eyes get pitch black, and then he punches Rye and they start fighting.

I don't wait a second. I run right in the middle of it. Peeta literally lifts me up and moves me and keeps fighting, so I shove him.

"Don't touch me." He hisses at me.

"Don't be an asshole. I get your sensitive but don't fucking beat your brother because your mad! Knock it off, get your head out if your ass and apologize."

He narrows his eyes at me.

"I'm sorry." He says to everyone.

Everyone turns around and leaves, letting me be alone with him. He sits down on the ground.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I got mad. Everyone doesn't get me. I wish people would understand! Nobody loves me! Nobody cares! It'll never get better! I just want to be loved! I'm not innocent. I'm not a good person to anyone. All I am is a boy who cut. I'm just a rehab victim. I wish I could feel loved." He's crying.

"Peeta." I whisper. He shakes his head.

"I'm not loved."

I get right on my knees in front of him and kiss him. He's my first kiss and I'm his. He pauses at first and then starts kissing back. It's slow and passionate and suddenly, I just want to get out of here. He places his hands on the small of my back and pulls me into his lap. My hands hit his chest and bunch his shirt into a ball. I pull away.

"Peeta." I whisper, my face so close to his that I can feel his breath on my lips. I raise my hand and wipe his tears. "You are loved. You should feel loved. So many people love you."

He doesn't say anything, he just hugs me.

We sit there for a while, not saying anything, and then we get up and go back. He grabs my hand and drags me to the riverbank.

He takes his shirt off.

"Let's go."

"No." I say.

"Let's go."

"No."

He narrows his eyes and then grabs my hips and throws me in. I come up for air and get out my dress and see through. I narrow my eyes, band over and out my hair up in a bun and then pull my dress off. I see his eyes widen slightly, and I decide to be a bitch and not let him look. "It's on." I say, and I back up.

He watches me. Everyone is watching, entertained.

"You won't do it." He says.

I charge, and run right into him, latching my legs around his waist as we both fall back into the water. He comes up and pushes me off.

"Bitch." He says. "Your gonna pay."

"Bring it." I smirk. He splashes. It's light. I lunge at him and shove him under water so he can't breathe. He pushes me off and does it to me. We keep messing around until Rye jumps in the water with Prim on his shoulders.

"Chicken." Prim says, crossing her arms.

My parents have this stupid rule where all of us have to be in a sport so we're, and I quote; "not sitting around on our lazy asses."

Prim plays softball and she's fit. I shove Peeta under water and get on his shoulders. He rises, his hands locked firmly on my thighs.

People are getting in the water to watch. I push Prim and she pushes me. I steady myself.

"This is technically unfair because your a gymnast."

"Your a gymnast?" Some random girl asks. "I wanna see!"

Prim takes advantage of my lost attention and pushes me off. I come up and she goes. "I'm a better gymnast than you." She says.

"Fine. Rematch, but it's in gymnastics."

"Yay!" Peeta says. "I haven't seen you do gymnastics in a while."

Everyone moves to watch.

"You do what you do. Who's the judge?"

"Me." Some random chick says.

Prim takes off running and does two

Back handsprings and a cartwheel.

Granted Prim hardly ever sees me do gymnastics. Nobody really does except Johanna and Annie.

So I take off running, do a half turn and flip in the air and then land and then do a twisting layout backflip and land, and then I stop running and turn to face Prim.

"She wins." The chick says, and points to me.

Peeta sitting on the side of the river and he's being quiet. He's upset again. I look at Mrs. Mellark and point at Peeta and make a singing gesture.

She nods and clears her throat. "Can everyone gather around?" Peeta looks irritated, but he does, and he's in the center. People make way for me. Mrs. Mellark hands me the guitar and Peeta narrows his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He whispers. He knows right away it's about him.

I sit down in the chair. Everyone is quiet and I start strumming.

_I guess you really did it this time_

_Left yourself in your warpath_

_Lost your balance on a tightrope_

_Lost your mind tryin' to get it back_

_Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?_

_Always a bigger bed to crawl into_

_Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything_

_And everybody believed in you?_

_It's alright, just wait and see_

_Your string of lights is still bright to me_

_Oh, who you are is not where you've been._

_You're still an innocent,_

_You're still an innocent._

_Did some things you can't speak of_

_But at night you live it all again_

_You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now_

_If only you had seen what you know now then_

_Wasn't it easier in your firefly-catchin' days?_

_When everything out of reach, someone bigger brought down to you_

_Wasn't it beautiful runnin' wild 'til you fell asleep_

_Before the monsters caught up to you?_

_It's alright, just wait and see_

_Your string of lights is still bright to me_

_Oh, who you are is not what you've been_

_You're still an innocent_

_It's okay, life is a tough crowd_

_32, and still growin' up now_

_Who you are is not what you did._

_You're still an innocent._

_Time turns flames to embers_

_You'll have new Septembers_

_Every one of us has messed up too_

_Minds change like the weather_

_I hope you remember_

_Today is never too late to be brand new_

_It's alright, just wait and see_

_Your string of lights is still bright to me_

_Oh, who you are is not what you've been_

_You're still an innocent._

_It's okay, life is a tough crowd_

_18, and still growin' up now_

_Who you are is not what you did_

_You're still an innocent._

_You're still an innocent._

_Lost your balance on a tightrope._

_It's never too late to get it back._

I know he hates it, but he's crying. He's not bawling his eyes out, but tears are sliding down his face.

He grabs the guitar and hands it to his Mother and pulls me right out of my seat and into his arms. I can tell he isn't going to let go any time soon so I just let him do it until he's done.

He stops and picks me up, putting me legs around his waist. He doesn't say a word as he walks alongside the river.

He sets me down then and takes me hand, practically dragging me.

"Peeta-" he kisses me when people can still see us.

"Shut up," he says, and keeps dragging me.

"Peeta." I whisper. They can't see us. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asks, not stopping to look at me.

"For doing that." He doesn't say a word, he just keeps walking until he's deep in the woods. He stops finally and puts his hands on my shoulders with my back to a tree.

"You are amazing. You are beautiful. I love you. You make me feel wanted."

"I love you too." I whisper.

"Your everything. I want there to be an us. I want to be more than friends."

My breathing is heavy and my eyes are heavy. His hands are on my hips and they're burning me.

I bite my lip and lean back against the tree.

His mouth darts to mine and we start making out intensely. My hair comes undone and his mouth starts wandering down my jaw, down my neck, nipping and sucking in random spots. When I realize this he's at the curvature of my breasts, a soft whimper comes from my mouth.

We need to stop. "Peeta." I mumble. "We can't." He stops moving down and goes right back to my lips and pecks them one, two, three times.

"Why?" He whispers, his fingers running through my hair.

"We're in the woods," I whisper, "at a family reunion."

He groans. "Let's leave."

"Peeta." I say. "We can't."

We're both silent.

"I have a plan." He whispers. "Let's pretend to fight, and then force yourself to cry, and go to our parents and tell them we're leaving, that we need to take the fight elsewhere. Tell them I'm upset. I'll stay in the woods until you get in the car and I'll sneak in."

"And what about the fact that we're not in Savannah, Georgia where we live?" I ask.

"Hotel." He says.

"Fine." I say, and we start fake screaming at each other.

"You shouldn't have done it, not in front of everyone!" He shouts.

"I was trying to help!" I shout back. We keep fighting till we hear voices and then I force cry and run into the crowd. I grab all my shit and go to our parents. "We're leaving." I say, and clearly they believe we're seriously fighting.

"Katniss." Mrs. Mellark says.

"No. We can't do this here. We have to go."

Our parents sigh. "Fine."

I grab Peeta's shit and run for the car. He gets in right after me and we keep fake fighting until we're out of sight, and then I gun it.

I swear I can't get to the damn hotel fast enough.


	6. Chapter 6

**Listen up guys. I know it's been forever since I've written. I've been struggling. I don't know what to do. Every time I start a new story and then delete it and start another. I'm really sorry for that. I'm going to start a new story soon, and I'll try my best to finish it. You guys please don't get mad at me for it. I'm having a lot of issues lately.**


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